【Monica Swinn】

Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max,Monica Swinn the company's most powerful phone, is already quite pricy, starting at $1,099. But Apple is considering launching an even pricier phone, possibly called the iPhone Ultra, as soon as next year.

This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who wrote about the device in his "Power On" newsletter.

Gurman claims that Apple has internally discussed the iPhone Ultra, and that it could arrive in 2024. He offers no concrete details about the upcoming phone, though he does say it could have a more powerful camera and chip, as well as a larger display than the iPhone Pro Max. The iPhone Ultra could also have some slightly more extravagant features, such as not having a charging port (relying instead on wireless connectivity and charging alone).

Apple's internal discussions about upcoming products are no guarantee that these products will ever see the light of day. But there are indications that the company is considering an ultra-high-end line of products. Probably the strongest among them is the existence of Apple Watch Ultra, which sits above other Watch categories with a larger display and several additional features, as well as a higher starting price of $799. The company has also added more distinctive features to its Pro models, separating them from "regular" iPhones – most notably, only the new Pro models have the Dynamic Island.

Gurman's report follows the remarks of Apple CEO Tim Cook, who discussed the subject of iPhone pricing at Apple's latest earnings call. During the call, Cook said that customers could probably be persuaded to spend more for a high-end iPhone, which he thinks has become "integral" to customers' lives.

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"I think people are willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford in that category," said Cook.

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